HEADLINES

Cody Kessler

Browns Notes: RG3, McCown, Thomas, West

September 15th, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Robert Griffin III‘s shoulder injury serves as a significant detriment to his hopes at resurrecting his once-promising career, some with the Browns don’t view it as too damaging to their current team. With Hue Jackson focused on reprogramming Griffin into an above-average quarterback, some Browns staffers view the injury as something that can help the franchise move on and begin assessing its future at the position, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com report.

Browns sources told the veteran reporters third-round pick Cody Kessler is “not close” to being ready to debut, and expectations for the USC product aren’t particularly high. So, as 37-year-old Josh McCown prepares to return to the starting lineup, the team will continue to scout for its future. Should Kessler make a start this season, he’ll be the franchise’s 26th starting quarterback since its 1999 rebirth. That total leads the league.

Interestingly, the new regime’s last such scouting job revealed a dislike for two of the league’s hot-starting passers, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott, while Cleveland’s new decision-makers liked Griffin, Kessler and Jared Goff, per Schefter and Mortensen.

Here’s more from Cleveland as its football team prepares to play the old Browns in Week 2.

  • McCown offered a reasonable plea, per Schefter and Mortensen, against the notion the Browns should tank for 2017 this season. The veteran quarterback and second-year Brown believed the team owed it to veterans like Joe Thomas to make a legitimate effort to compete in 2016.
  • Thomas, meanwhile, did not push the Browns to trade him to the Broncos last season due to the loyalty they showed him since making him the No. 3 overall pick in 2007, the ESPN duo reports. The six-time All-Pro’s name could well resurface on the trade block this season if the Browns perform as they’re expected to, especially since so few veterans are going to play for them this season.
  • Speaking of trades, former Browns running back Terrance West asked the team to be traded before last season, West said on the BmoreOpinionated podcast (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The Browns’ previous regime did end up trading West to the Titans, although it’s not known if it came as a result of the running back’s request. The current Ravens ball-carrier believes he’d still be with the Browns if he hadn’t asked to be dealt. “I think if I didn’t call for a trade, I would be still in Cleveland right now,” West said. “I was the leading rusher that year. I was the leading rusher in that preseason. I called for a trade. I didn’t think that was home for me.” West, though, saw the Titans cut him after he made only 16 rushing attempts last season. Ulrich writes attitude problems and shaky practice habits marred the former third-round pick’s time in Cleveland. He’s set to play a bigger role this season, as evidenced by the Ravens giving him 14 touches in Week 1. West rushed for 673 yards as a rookie to lead the Browns as a rookie in 2014, ahead of current starter Isaiah Crowell‘s 607.
  • While Jackson’s initial effort in northeast Ohio isn’t expected to go well, the first-year coach made some bold proclamations about the franchise’s future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/9/2016

June 9th, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • Pass rusher Kevin Anderson, whom the Steelers waived/injured on Wednesday, has cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The Bears signed quarterback Dalyn Williams and released fellow QB Matt Blanchard, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Williams, a UDFA from Dartmouth, threw for 2,592 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, completing 64% of his passes. The Bears liked Blanchard, but he has no more practice squad eligibility.
  • The Eagles placed linebacker Ty Powell on the reserve/retired list, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets.
  • The Browns signed third-round pick Cody Kessler, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Kessler, a USC product who went 93rd overall, had less hype than other quarterbacks in this year’s class but wound up being taken earlier than some big names at the position.
  • Linebacker Jerrell Harris, waived/injured by the Cowboys on Wednesday, is now on their IR after clearing waivers, tweets Wilson.

North Notes: Ravens, Lions, Browns, Vikings

June 1st, 2016 at 8:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Ravens are relishing the presence of three-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle, whom they signed to a four-year, $26MM deal in March, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “If he has anything to tell me I’m always listening,” said fellow safety Lardarius Webb. “He’s going to be big for this defense – for this team.” Webb added that Weddle is “being himself and were loving it,” also referring to the acquisition of the longtime Charger as a “great move.” Head coach John Harbaugh agrees, stating, “He fits in with how we do things around here perfectly. I give (general manager) Ozzie (Newsome) all the credit in the world. That was a great signing.”

More from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Still-unsigned linebacker Mike Neal visited the Lions in March, but they no longer have interest in the 28-year-old, reports Justin Rogers of MLive.com. As Rogers points out, the Lions picked up Wallace Gilberry in free agency and addressed both defensive end and outside linebacker via the draft, thereby lessening the need for Neal. The Lions are of course quite familiar with Neal, who has so far spent his entire career (2010-15) with the division-rival Packers. PFR’s Dallas Robinson rates Neal as the sixth-best defensive free agent remaining on the market.
  • Browns coach Hue Jackson says he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback coming out of OTAs, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. Signs are pointing toward Robert Griffin III, though, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. Whether veteran Josh McCown makes the team will depend on how Griffin and third-round rookie Cody Kessler fare in the coming months, Grossi opines.
  • The Vikings haven’t ruled out adding another punter to compete with incumbent Jeff Locke, special teams coach Mike Priefer said Wednesday (link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune). Minnesota tried out a pair of rookie punters last month, and neither signed with the Vikings or any other team. That could change, however, according to Priefer. “We had two good, young rookie punters at minicamp who performed very, very well so we know those guys are out there if we need to go that route,” commented Priefer. As for Locke, 26, he’s entering a contract year after ranking dead last in yards per punt (41.6) and third from the bottom in net yardage (37.8) in 2015.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

North Notes: Kessler, Browns, Harrison, Bears

April 30th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns reportedly did not promise a starting job to Robert Griffin III, and it sound as though rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler has a shot to win the quarterback job in Cleveland. “We truly believe in competition here,” Browns executive Sashi Brown said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We’re realistic about where our roster is at that slot and we want to find a long-term answer. I think it’s as critical for everything we’re going to do here.”

Here’s the latest from the North divisions…

  • The Browns did not know cornerback Jamar Taylor would be available ahead of the draft, said Brown, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Cleveland acquired Taylor today for a seventh-round pick.
  • Even if the Bears had drafted a quarterback today, they still would have signed backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, GM Ryan Pace told reporters, including Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times (Twitter link). Chicago wanted a veteran behind Jay Cutler, hence the signing of Hoyer to a one-year, $2MM deal.
  • Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin both expect James Harrison to return for the 2016, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazetter (Twitter links). “He’s working out awful hard for a ‘retired’ guy,” said Tomlin.
  • Defensive tackle Vernon Butler contends the Lions told him they would draft him if he were available with the No. 16 pick, but Detroit ultimately chose offensive tackle Taylor Decker. Lions GM Bob Quinn denies that his club promised anything to Butler, who was chosen at No. 30 by the Panthers. Justin Rogers of MLive.com has the full details.

QB Notes: Goff, Wentz, 49ers, Rams, Eagles

April 18th, 2016 at 8:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

California quarterback Jared Goff is meeting with the 49ers tonight, sources tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who adds (via Twitter) that this is the third time Chip Kelly & Co. will have seen Goff, with the first two instances coming at Goff’s pro day and via a private workout. Goff, of course, is one of two primary options for the Rams with the No. 1 overall pick, so San Francisco would need a bit of luck for him to fall to the seventh pick. Even if the 49ers are able to trade up to No. 2, there’s no guarantee Goff won’t already be off the board.

Let’s dive into few more notes on the 2016 quarterback class…

  • We heard over the weekend that the Rams would meet with Goff and Carson Wentz again before deciding on whom to select with the first overall pick, and those meetings are expected to get underway tonight. Wentz will arrive in Los Angeles tonight, while Goff will visit with the Rams later in the week, reports Steve Wyche of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Reports have indicated that the Eagles are high on Wentz, and their attempted to trade up to No. 1 may have been to secure the North Dakota State signal-caller. Regardless of whether or not Philadelphia finds a way to land Wentz, head coach Doug Pederson clearly believes Wentz is “the real deal,” tweets Elliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com after listening to Pederson speak at a press conference today.
  • USC quarterback Cody Kessler has worked out for and/or visited the Chargers, Saints, Browns, and Lions, among others, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). At 6’1″ and 215 pounds, Kessler is slight, but he’s thrown for 88 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions during three seasons as the Trojans starter. Kessler is projected as a seventh-round pick or UDFA on CBSSports.com’s big board, but Rapoport hears that he could go a lot higher than is expected.